On 23 February 2018, we celebrated the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science with a public lecture, which was followed by an early career researcher Q&A session with two esteemed professors in science: Professor Eleanor Riley and the Head of School of Biology Professor Clare Peddie.

The Q&A session took place in the conference room at the Byre theatre which provided an informal setting to discuss issues relating to women progressing in science. The session began with a brief background of each panellist’s career routes to their current positions. Eleanor and Clare had contrasting backgrounds which allowed different views to be discussed and reflected the diversity of career paths and personal circumstances.

The session was attended by 10 early career researchers, with a mix of gender and level (including post-docs, PhD students and Masters students). The session provided the platform for all attendees to ask questions relating to their circumstances and aspirations in an informal and encouraging setting. The session was very positively received and will continue to follow future Women in Science public lectures.

Thank you to our panel, Professor Kevin Laland for chairing the session, and the early career researchers who attended.